Heat Shrink Electrical Fittings

Heat gun . I am not allowed to use a lighter in any power company facility but there is a fieplace lighter that shoots a blue flame [not like a Bic lighter but like a mini torch]. That will work but you have to make sure no one is looking.
 
Not being able to use a lighter, etc to shrink heat shrink is about as bad as going into a welding shop that has "No Smoking" signs up all over the place due to stupid insurance or OSHA regs in regard to flamible gasses being stored on site. I mean seriously, it's perfectly OK to use a torch and cut within say 25 feet (typical lenght of a hose) of an oxy/acet setup, but heavens forbid that you light up anything else within that same distance as it might do what the torch itself, and all the hot slag hasn't and actually cause something to blow up.....

That's almost as bad as the requirement to tie off if your working 4 feet off the floor. No mentions ever made that you typically need to climb, unsecured, to a way greater height than the 4 feet to both tie off your harness, and then again to untie it....
 
In our facility the electricians carried HEAT GUNS and that was official policy, now whose to say if lighters or small torches or other flame producing devices were ever used????????? Of course, the safe response and answer has to be a heat gun for me an engineer at least, so now you go n use whatever your little heart desires, your house your life any risk choices are yours.

Best wishes, keep safe n God Bless

John T
 
heat gun is the way to go for best results.

Also look for an adapter that goes on the gun, made specifically for shrink tube on connectors.

It's goes in front of the air flow - it's metal - and it curled like a C.

It forces the hot air all around the shrink tubing so you don't have to play contortionist to get all sides of the shrink tubing.

not a big deal for loose cables, but when in a tight spot - they're great to have.
 
I used to just use a lighter. You have to be careful or you will scorch the shrink tubing with a flame heater.

I bought a electric heat gun. It is an off brand and cost about $25. I use the thing all of the time. Best money I have spent in a good while. With the electric heat gun you will get a more uniform shrink and almost zero scorch issues.

I also use the gun to heat up tire patches. Hard plastic water line heat it up and it will slide right on your barbed fitting. Old radiator hose heat it up and it will soften up and yo can work with it much easier.
 
Dont recall off hand, I been away from the practice a longgggggggggg timeeeeeeeeee lol but like the sound of it

John T
 
JohnT,
My brother-in-law built a new 2 slip boat dock in Florida. One for the bass boat and one for the toon. Both have boat lifts. The critters will eat the wires like candy. So, he ran all his wires in plastic conduit. Did a slick job making special bends so conduit would fit nicely along the posts and come out a little to fit in the boxes. To date, no critter has eaten through the conduit. The heat gun worked perfectly.
George
 
You're not permitted to smoke in the boilers at AEP Power plants now. It's meant to have fire in them, but no smoking. Go figure. Guess I won't let it botrher me anymore, haven't had a smoke since 10 December last year. Keith
 
I prefer a small butane torch. Coleman bottle propane torches work but it's easy to burn the tubing. Not so much with the small flame from the butane.

you using generic shrink-tube, or the dual-wall that seals them up weather-tight?
 
(quoted from post at 11:33:16 06/19/13) JohnT,
Ever see a heat gun used to bend plastic conduit?
George

I just ran some 2" PVC from house to new shop, used heat gun to bend a kick in it.
Bend 90*s in 1/2" & 3/4" with heat gun.

John T when you mentioned electricians carrying heat guns, I get the picture on them having hand gun holster, from the old west movies, with a heat gun in it and a cord dangling out.

:D

Dusty
 
Which do you recommend? I am attempting to make a wire harness for my Ferguson on my work bench so the wire ends will be quite easy to access.
 
In addition to all the things JD mentioned, they also work good to soften floor tile when laying it around obstacles and floor drains. I'd hate to be without a heat gun.
 
If I were you I would just buy a heat gun. You will wonder how you got along without one. Mine has 2 heat settings low & high. I use it for everything.
 
Use the double-wall or "marine-grade". It seals the connection and water can't get in, helps keep the wire from deteriorating inside. Also takes some of the strain off the crimp connectors if you don't solder them. They can work loose after a few years of vibration if not soldered.
 

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